The state of Chiapas in Mexico is one of the most diverse. Over one-quarter of the population is classified as indigenous and over 10 different languages are spoken. It has urban, rural, community and indigenous schools. The latter use a bilingual model of schooling (Spanish and the indigenous language). Teachers for urban and some rural schools are recruited using a standardized state teacher exam, but indigenous teachers and community instructors are recruited mostly on the basis of language competency and availability to work in remote areas. Overall, the state’s results on national standardized exams are dismal. Even when compared to similar states, Chiapas´ students score at the bottom of national standardized exams. Rural and indigenous students fare the worst. All of this raises questions regarding the quality of teaching in the state, particularly in rural and indigenous schools. This paper presents findings from an 18 month long study that collected data on a representative sample of 4th grade students and teachers in the Mexican state of Chiapas in three types of schools: general (urban and rural), indigenous and community. The dataset will be matched with results on ENLACE (national standardized exam) for 3rd grade (the year prior to data collection) and 4th grade to allow for an achievement gains estimation model. The results of this paper will further our understanding about what teacher characteristics seem to be most important for learning in rural and indigenous schools and provide a more in-depth picture of teaching quality in these areas.

Santibanez, Lucrecia."Quality of teaching in rural and indigenous schools: The case of Chiapas, Mexico" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the 55th Annual Conference of the Comparative and International Education Society, Fairmont Le Reine Elizabeth, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, <Not Available>. 2014-11-26 <http://citation.allacademic.com/meta/p486542_index.html>

APA Citation:

Santibanez, L. "Quality of teaching in rural and indigenous schools: The case of Chiapas, Mexico" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the 55th Annual Conference of the Comparative and International Education Society, Fairmont Le Reine Elizabeth, Montreal, Quebec, Canada<Not Available>. 2014-11-26 from http://citation.allacademic.com/meta/p486542_index.html

Publication Type: Panel PaperAbstract: The state of Chiapas in Mexico is one of the most diverse. Over one-quarter of the population is classified as indigenous and over 10 different languages are spoken. It has urban, rural, community and indigenous schools. The latter use a bilingual model of schooling (Spanish and the indigenous language). Teachers for urban and some rural schools are recruited using a standardized state teacher exam, but indigenous teachers and community instructors are recruited mostly on the basis of language competency and availability to work in remote areas. Overall, the state’s results on national standardized exams are dismal. Even when compared to similar states, Chiapas´ students score at the bottom of national standardized exams. Rural and indigenous students fare the worst. All of this raises questions regarding the quality of teaching in the state, particularly in rural and indigenous schools. This paper presents findings from an 18 month long study that collected data on a representative sample of 4th grade students and teachers in the Mexican state of Chiapas in three types of schools: general (urban and rural), indigenous and community. The dataset will be matched with results on ENLACE (national standardized exam) for 3rd grade (the year prior to data collection) and 4th grade to allow for an achievement gains estimation model. The results of this paper will further our understanding about what teacher characteristics seem to be most important for learning in rural and indigenous schools and provide a more in-depth picture of teaching quality in these areas.